Lens for headlights



L. AND H. BENZER.

LENS FOR HEADLIGHTS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 12, 1920.

1,374,900, Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

[oz/1s Aim/25E f/nvey 515N256 ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES;

LOUIS BnNzn'R AND HENRY Barman; F,;BBOOKN,JNEW YORK, assxenons ro THE ears- T oFFi'c BENZER conronn'rron, or BROOKLYHQZ'JWW 12031:, n conronarron on NEW Yonx.

LENS roar'r nniinrerrrs,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LOUIS BENZER and HnNRr BnNznR, both citizens of. the United vented a new and Improved Lens for Headlights,,' of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in lenses for projectors, and it pertains more particularly to lenses adapted for use in connection with headlights of motor vehicles, and is an improvement over the lens de icted in a previous United States Letters atent granted to us August 26, 1919, numbered 1,314,458, to which patent cross reference is here made.

In the above-mentioned patent the lower portion of the lens was divided'into a plurality' of transversely concave prismatic surfaces which were spaced from one another by interposed triangular plane sur faces. In such a construction, the concavesurfaces afford light beams projected transversely of the line of travel, and which are commonly known as) ditch. lights. The interposed plane-surfaces were provided for the purpose of segregating the transversely concave portions and spaclng them from one another.

We have found by actual experiment that the illumination of the sides of the road may be greatly enhanced by slightly changing the construction of the lower part of the lens, and more particularly the structure of the triangular plane surfaces of the above-mentioned patent. It is therefore the primary object of the present inventionto, lncrease the intensity of the ditch lights provided by the transversely concave surfaces of the lens depicted in the patent.

With this and other objects in view, refer- I ence is had to the accompanying drawings,

s which Figurel 1s a view in elevation of a lens constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the'line 33*'of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4.-4= of Fig. 1. g

Referring more particularly to the draw- Specification of Lettersiatcnt.

, faces "8*;

Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

Application filed January 12-, 1m.'"s.m1 No. 350,784.

its next adjacent upper prismatic surface and in a plane below the lower edge thereof as indicated by the reference character 7 in Fig. 2.

The lower portion of the lens is divided into a plurality of transversely concave sur- These. transversely concave surfaces-8 are'also angularly disposed with respect to the plane surfaces ofthe lens insuch a manner that their upper edge is cut deeper than their lower edge, as are the prismatic surfaces 6.

Interposed between these transversely concave surfaces 8,are triangular areas 9, and said triangular areas 9 are preferably arranged .in sta gered "relation one to the other. By sue a construction, thetransversely concave surfaces 8 are likewise arranged in staggered relation each to the other.

As distinguished from the plane triangular surfaces in our former patent, the triangular areas 9 are convex, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. That portion of each trian ular area 9, which is positioned toward t e upper portion of the lens, is in a plane below the adjacent surface of the next, adjacent prismatic surface above it.

As desi nated by the reference character 10, it wil be noted that the sides of the triangular areas 9 are defined by a positive wall at. that point where they mer e into the transversely concave surfaces 8. y such a construction, the triangular areas 9 are positively segregated from the concave surfaces 8, and by means of the triangular areas 9, said concave surfaces 8 are also positivelfy segregated from one another.

This ace of the lens shown in Fig. 1 is adaptedgto be positioned internally of the pro ector, and in such position it will be noted that 'thelight" passing through that portion of the concave surfaces 8 to the right of the optical axis of said surface will be projected toward the left in the said figure, and vice versa. This projection of the rays will direct the beam towardthe side of the road or transversely of the line of travel of the headlight. Inasmuch as the triangular areas 9 are convex, it will be seen that their surfaces are divided into two distinct refracting facets l1 and 12, as indicated by the dotted lines A'A in Fig, 1. By such a construction, it will be seen that the portion of the light beam rojected through the portions of the triangu ar areas 9 on opposite sides of the center lineA-A therethrough, will merge with that portion of the light beam projected through the adjacent retracting concave surfaces 8.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention provides means whereby the side or ditch -lights of the lens shown in our former patent heretofore referred to, are greatly intensified, this result being obtained by the convex surfaces of the triangular areas 9 as distinguished from the plane surfaces as in the above-mentioned patent.

Claims:

1. A lensfor headlights having its upper portion divided into a plurality of prismatic light refracting surfaces, a plurality of transversely concave parallel prismatic surfaces in the lower portion of said lens and triangular convex surfaces interposed between said transversely concave surfaces in the lower portion ofthe headlight lens the defining edge :of said triangular sur aces lying in a plane below the ends of the transversely concave surfaces to provide a vertical wall for separating the concave and triangular surfaces.

2. A headlight lens having its upper portion divided into a plurality of arcuate prismatic surfaces, a plurahty of transversely concave prismatic surfaces in the lower portion of the lens,.and convex triangular prismatic surfaces arranged in staggered relation in the longitudinal concave surfaces in the lower portion of the lens, said convex triangular prismatic surfaces having their defining edge terminating at a point below the adjacent ends of the concave surfaces and spaced therefrom by means of a vertically disposed wall, whereby the triangularsurfaces and the concave surfaces are defined with relation to each other.

LOUIS BENZER. HENRY BENZER. 

